To start the Ladies Run 2010, we met at McDonald's on 28th Street in Boulder, CO. Thirteen vehicles, including Erin and Rick Kilton, Bill Boitano and Polly Rader, Darrel and Judy Turner, Kathy and John Howell, Anita and Perry Willson, Greg Beery, Mike and Caroline Moore, Cathy, Rich, Aaron and Jordan Horiuchi, Larry McGimsey, Laura and Mike Baker, Ray and Wanda Comeau, Brian, Jamie and Lilly Gilgren, and Richard and Karla Harmon.
We headed up HWY 119 towards Nederland at 9:00am by way of Sugarloaf Road to Nederland and then into Eldora.
With the help of Greg's directions we drove by the Gold Miners Hotel in Eldora (built in 1897) before heading up Eldorado Mountain Trail also known as FS 505. The first part of the trail is a narrow ledge road, but all of the ladies driving made it without any problems. We met the first vehicle coming down just after we got into the tree line, which was an added blessing! We stopped at a mine site which had an open vertical shaft.
We were hoping and praying Rick wouldn't fall in as he attempted to walk the plank over the shaft. We continued on until we stopped for lunch at an open meadow with a beautiful view looking towards the west. After enjoying a relaxing lunch break we headed on up the road and took the loop around to Caribou Hill where we stopped. Some of us climbed to the top while some of the guys drove up the very steep hill to the top. We found the bench markers and a little stone structure. Through binoculars some of us got to see the railroad trestles and the Needle Eye Tunnel on Rollins Pass. After we came to the end of Eldorado Mtn Trail, we then drove Caribou Creek Trail which was one mud hole after the next with one stream crossing. We had a needed pit stop at Sour Dough Trail Head where we aired up and headed towards the town of Nederland to see the Carrousel.
The Carrousel dated from 1910 which had been restored by Scott Harrison with the help of lots of volunteers. Most of us rode the Carrousel which contained 58 different animals. Then we headed up to Don and Karen Lamperts beautiful mountain home for Taco Salad and took time to relax and enjoy visiting.
Thanks to Greg Beery, Don Lamprecht, and Richard Harmon for helping me map out some of the trail and giving me ideas. And a great big thank you to Don and Karen Lamprecht for sharing their mountain home and extending such warm hospitality to us all.
And a great big Thank You to all who participated and to all the Lady Drivers - EXCELLENT JOB!